[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 139 (Sunday, October 29, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2018-E2019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BELARUSAN-AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Sunday, October 29, 2000

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Belarusan-
American Foundation on the auspicious occasion of its 50th anniversary. 
I am very proud of the fact that Central New Jersey is home to a 
significant Belarusan-American community. I happen to be very close to 
one particular member of the Belarusan-American community in this area: 
my wife, Sarah.
  While we are here to celebrate, we must also recognize that Belarus 
has not made the successful transition to democracy like Poland, 
Slovakia, and as recently as this month, Serbia. Over nearly a decade 
of independence, the promise of democracy, freedom of expression and 
association, and the flowering of a national identity have not come to 
pass for the Belarusan people. The fault for this sad state of affairs 
rests, as all of us know, with President Aleksandr Lukashenka. The 
President has illegally extended his term of office beyond the legally 
mandated expiration date. Throughout his tenure, President Lukashenka 
has monopolized the mass media, undermined the constitutional 
foundation for the separation of powers, used intimidation and strong-
arm tactics against the political opposition, suppressed freedom of the 
press and expression, defamed the national culture, maligned the 
national language and eroded Belarus's rightful position as a sovereign 
nation.
  Worse, just two days before the Parliamentary elections held on 
October 15, President Lukashenka issued a fresh denunciation of market 
reforms. And, I am disappointed and disturbed that the Parliamentary 
elections almost exclusively involved candidates who back Lukashenka. 
Clearly, not a single OSCE condition for free and fair elections was 
met. This past week, Representatives Gejdenson and Smith introduced a 
Resolution condemning the October 15 elections. I will try to ensure 
that this bill reaches the House floor in the remaining days of this 
Congress. And today, I again express my strong condemnation of these 
``sham'' elections.
  For at least four years, I and other Members of Congress have been 
working to address Lukashenka's abuses of power. In 1996, I introduced 
a Resolution expressing concern over the Lukashenka regime's violations 
of human and civil rights in direct violation of the Helsinki Accords 
and the constitution of Belarus, and expressing concern about the union 
between Russia and Belarus. That Resolution also recognized March 25 as 
the anniversary of the declaration of an independent Belarusan state. A 
year later, I worked with leaders of the International Relations 
Committee to include language in the State Department Authorization 
bill, which passed the House, calling for our President to press the 
Government of President Lukashenka on defending the sovereignty of 
Belarus and guaranteeing basic freedoms and human rights.
  For years now, the Belarusan-American community has been trying to 
inform the American people about the truth in Belarus, that President 
Lukashenka's actions do not have widespread support and his regime has 
lost any sense of legitimacy it once may have had. I want to thank the 
Belarusan-American community in New Jersey and throughout the nation 
for continuing to speak the truth about events in the land of their 
ancestors.
  Earlier this year, I joined Congressman Gejdenson and others in 
introducing yet another Resolution that condemns the continued 
egregious violations of human rights in the Republic of Belarus, and 
the lack of progress toward the establishment of democracy and the rule 
of law in Belarus to continue to put pressure on Lukashenka. The 
Resolution also calls on President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime to 
engage in negotiations with the representatives of the opposition and 
to restore the constitutional rights of the Belarusian people, and

[[Page E2019]]

calls on the Russian Federation to respect the sovereignty of Belarus.
  Obviously, President Lukashenka has not been moved by these 
expressions of concern by the United States and the international 
community. But we must not give up. We must continue to go on record 
condemning the abuses that have taken place and that continue to take 
place in Belarus. We must urge our President and State Department to 
keep the pressure on President Lukashenka--and also on Russian 
President Vladimir Putin.
  I congratulate you for this occasion and for all of your efforts. I 
look forward to continuing to work together to pursue real democracy, 
and truly free and fair elections that comply with OSCE principles and 
the Helsinki Accords.